BOILING SPRINGS, S.C./OCONTO FALLS, Wisc. (Reuters) - At scattered events across the United States, protesters are confronting members of Congress whose summer 'town hall' meetings aim to get a sense of how Americans feel about overhauling healthcare.

AP - Alex Rodriguez broke up an electric pitchers' duel in the 15th inning with his first homer in three weeks, giving the New York Yankees a 2-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A fellow commander in the Pakistani Taliban insisted that Baitullah Mehsud, the movement's leader, was alive, the BBC reported on Saturday, rejecting government claims he had been eliminated in a U.S. drone strike.

KABUL (Reuters) - NATO-led forces are investigating whether they mistakenly killed two civilians in southern Afghanistan, the alliance's International Security Assistance Force said on Saturday.

AP - Sonia Sotomayor, her family and friends are gathering at the Supreme Court for her swearing-in as the court's first Hispanic, third woman and 111th justice.

AP - The nation's drugmakers stand ready to spend $150 million to help President Barack Obama overhaul health care this fall, according to numerous officials, a staggering sum that could dwarf attempts to derail Obama's top domestic priority.

AP - The discovery of faulty airspeed sensors on some Northwest Airlines jets suggests the equipment problems are more widespread than previously believed and could provide clues to the cause of the Air France crash that killed 228 people in June.

AP - Dozens of opposition activists and protesters stood trial in Tehran Saturday on charges of rioting and plotting to topple the ruling Islamic system following the disputed presidential election, Iran's state media reported.

AP - A concert promoter's insurance on Michael Jackson's London shows has provisions that may deny a multimillion dollar payout if the pop star was found to have illegally possessed drugs or was involved in the 'illicit taking of drugs.'

Reuters - A fellow commander in the Pakistani Taliban insisted that Baitullah Mehsud, the movement's leader, was alive, the BBC reported on Saturday, rejecting government claims he had been eliminated in a U.S. drone strike.

AFP - Pakistan's media and civil society on Saturday welcomed the suspected death of Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, saying it will dent extremists' efforts despite warnings it does not equal victory.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama accused his critics on Saturday of resorting to 'outlandish rumors' and 'misleading information' aimed at derailing his efforts to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A fellow commander in the Pakistani Taliban insisted that Baitullah Mehsud, the movement's leader, was alive, the BBC reported on Saturday, rejecting government claims he had been eliminated in a U.S. drone strike.

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Gunbattles between clan militiamen killed at least 17 people and wounded 30 on Saturday at a pirate stronghold on the coast of Somalia, witnesses said.

AP - Using better-than-expected jobs numbers to press his top domestic priority, President Barack Obama argued Saturday that overhauling the nation's costly health care system is essential to the country's economic well-being.

AP - Southeast Asia's most wanted terror suspect was reportedly killed during a 16-hour siege on a suspected militant hide-out that ended Saturday when police stormed the house.

AP - A deputy to Baitullah Mehsud claimed Saturday that the Pakistani Taliban chief was not killed by a CIA missile strike, contradicting another aide who confirmed Mehsud's death a day earlier.

AP - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with South African President Jacob Zuma Saturday in a bid to improve strained ties with the country.

AP - The family of TV pitchman Billy Mays said they were never aware that he used cocaine or other non-prescription drugs before his death and they were considering whether to have an independent review of an official autopsy.

Reuters - President Barack Obama accused his critics on Saturday of resorting to 'outlandish rumors' and 'misleading information' aimed at derailing his efforts to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system.

Reuters - A fellow commander in the Pakistani Taliban insisted that Baitullah Mehsud, the movement's leader, was alive, the BBC reported on Saturday, rejecting government claims he had been eliminated in a U.S. drone strike.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama accused his critics on Saturday of resorting to 'outlandish rumors' and 'misleading information' aimed at derailing his efforts to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system.

KEDU, Indonesia (Reuters) - Indonesian police shot dead a man suspected to be leading Islamic militant Noordin Mohammad Top after an 18-hour siege in Central Java and planned to confirm his identity using DNA tests, police said on Saturday.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran put dozens of moderates and a French citizen on trial on Saturday for taking part in unrest after a disputed June presidential vote, and riot police used force to break up protests by relatives outside the courtroom.

AP - A Taliban spokesman and a deputy to Baitullah Mehsud claimed Saturday that the Pakistani Taliban chief was not killed by a CIA missile strike, contradicting another aide who confirmed Mehsud's death a day earlier.

AP - On a mission to improve ties with Africa's most prosperous nation, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met Saturday with South African President Jacob Zuma and later toured a housing project she had visited twice in the past.

AP - Alex Rodriguez ended the longest scoreless duel between longtime rivals Boston and New York in the 15th inning with his first homer in three weeks, giving the hometown Yankees a 2-0 victory over the Red Sox late Friday night.

Reuters - Indonesian police shot dead a man suspected to be leading Islamic militant Noordin Mohammad Top after an 18-hour siege in Central Java and planned to confirm his identity using DNA tests, police said on Saturday.

Reuters - Iran put dozens of moderates and a French citizen on trial on Saturday for taking part in unrest after a disputed June presidential vote, and riot police used force to break up protests by relatives outside the courtroom.

Reuters - NATO-led forces are investigating whether they mistakenly killed two civilians in southern Afghanistan, the alliance's International Security Assistance Force said on Saturday.

Reuters - Gunbattles between clan militiamen killed at least 17 people and wounded 30 on Saturday at a pirate stronghold on the coast of Somalia, witnesses said.

AFP - Alleged Asian terror mastermind Noordin Mohammed Top was on Saturday reportedly killed in a hail of gunfire at his Indonesian hideout after a 17-hour siege by police special forces.

AFP - A French lecturer and two Iranian employees of the British and French embassies were in the dock on Saturday alongside others detained during protests over the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a Tehran court resumed their trial.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian court on Saturday charged a French woman, two Iranians working for the British and French embassies in Tehran and dozens of others with spying and aiding a Western plot to overthrow the system of clerical rule.

AP - Using better-than-expected jobs numbers to press his top domestic priority, President Barack Obama is arguing that overhauling the health care system is essential to the country's economic well-being.

AP - A young French academic and local employees of the British and French embassies appeared before an Iranian judge Saturday along with dozens of opposition figures accused of involvement in the country's postelection unrest.

AP - A Taliban spokesman and a deputy to Baitullah Mehsud claimed Saturday that the Pakistani Taliban chief was not killed by a CIA missile strike, contradicting another aide who confirmed Mehsud's death a day earlier.

AP - Hundreds of Beatles fans swarmed Abbey Road on Saturday, singing songs and snarling traffic to mark 40 years since John, Paul, George and Ringo strode across the leafy north London street and into the history books on iconic pop photos.

Reuters - An Iranian court on Saturday charged a French woman, two Iranians working for the British and French embassies in Tehran and dozens of others with spying and aiding a Western plot to overthrow the system of clerical rule.

AFP - A French lecturer and two Iranian employees of the British and French embassies were in the dock on Saturday alongside others detained during protests over the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, sparking anger in London and surprise in Paris.

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Chief executives of General Motors and autoparts maker Magna made some progress in Friday talks on the sale of GM's Opel unit, but key barriers remain, Opel's top labor leader and board member said on Saturday.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian court on Saturday charged a French woman, two Iranians working for the British and French embassies in Tehran and dozens of others with spying and aiding a Western plot to overthrow the system of clerical rule.

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Checking on a housing project she visited as U.S. first lady 12 years ago, Hillary Clinton helped clear rubble and planted flowers in a township outside Cape Town on Saturday.

KABUL (Reuters) - NATO helicopters wounded five Afghan police by mistake during a battle with insurgents on Saturday, the Western force and Afghan government said.

AP - Sonia Sotomayor became the Supreme Court's newest justice Saturday, pledging during a brief ceremony at the high court to defend the Constitution and administer impartial justice.

AP - Police reportedly killed the self-proclaimed Southeast Asian commander of al-Qaida on Saturday in a 16-hour siege of a village hide-out, but authorities said they could not confirm that a recovered body was that of the militant leader without DNA tests.

AP - At a housing project for the homeless she once visited as first lady, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton basked in the cheers and serenade from an adoring crowd Saturday and pronounced U.S.-South African ties on the mend after years of strain.

AP - John F. Kennedy's sister remains at a Massachusetts hospital with her family by her side.

AP - Cooked, salted or dried, field mice strung on sticks are sold as a popular delicacy in Malawi markets and roadside stalls.

AP - At least eight players — and possibly more — on the list of 104 names seized by the government did not test positive for steroids, Major League Baseball said Saturday.

Reuters - Judge Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in on Saturday as the first Hispanic associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Reuters - Checking on a housing project she visited as U.S. first lady 12 years ago, Hillary Clinton helped clear rubble and planted flowers in a township outside Cape Town on Saturday.

Reuters - NATO helicopters wounded five Afghan police by mistake during a battle with insurgents on Saturday, the Western force and Afghan government said.

AFP - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned Saturday that Georgia's leadership would face 'retribution' for last year's war in South Ossetia, as the pro-Russian rebel region marked the first anniversary of the conflict.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A tour helicopter collided with a small plane in midair and both crashed into the Hudson River near lower Manhattan, police reported Saturday.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Judge Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in on Saturday as the first Hispanic associate justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama accused his critics on Saturday of resorting to 'outlandish rumors' and 'misleading information' aimed at derailing his efforts to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system.

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The Pakistani government has received reports that shooting broke out between two rivals for the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban, and one of them may have been killed, the interior minister said Saturday.

AP - A small plane carrying three people collided with a tour helicopter carrying about a half-dozen people Saturday, sending debris into the Hudson River and onto the Hoboken, N.J., waterfront. New York City fire department officials on the scene said it appeared there were fatalities.

AP - Senior Taliban commanders denied that their leader, Baitullah Mehsud, had been killed in a CIA missile strike, while conflicting reported emerged late Saturday that a fire fight had broken out between them during a meeting to chose a successor.

AP - A young French academic and local staff of the British and French embassies stood trial Saturday with dozens of Iranian opposition figures and confessed to being involved in the country's postelection unrest.

AP - David Ortiz thinks legal supplements and vitamins likely caused him to land on a list of alleged drug users seized by the federal government, and Major League Baseball and the players' association said some of the names on the list never tested positive for steroids.

Reuters - A tour helicopter collided with a small plane in midair and both crashed into the Hudson River near lower Manhattan, police reported Saturday.

Reuters - President Barack Obama accused his critics on Saturday of resorting to 'outlandish rumors' and 'misleading information' aimed at derailing his efforts to overhaul the $2.5 trillion U.S. healthcare system.

Reuters - The Pakistani government has received reports that shooting broke out between two rivals for the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban, and one of them may have been killed, the interior minister said Saturday.

AFP - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned Saturday that Georgia's leadership would face 'retribution' over the war in South Ossetia a year ago and criticised US backing of the ex-Soviet state.

AFP - A French lecturer and two Iranian employees of the British and French embassies went on trial on Saturday with protesters who challenged the re-election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian news agencies said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Nine people, including five Italian tourists were killed on Saturday when a small plane hit a helicopter over New York and crashed into the Hudson River, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

TEHRAN (Reuters) - An Iranian court on Saturday charged a French woman, two Iranians working for the British and French embassies in Tehran and dozens of others with spying and aiding a Western plot to overthrow the system of clerical rule.

AP - A sightseeing helicopter carrying five Italian tourists and a small plane collided above the Hudson River on Saturday, sending debris into the water and forcing people on New Jersey's waterfront to scamper for cover. Authorities believe all nine people aboard the two aircraft were killed.

AP - Using better-than-expected jobs numbers to press his top domestic priority, President Barack Obama is arguing that overhauling the health care system is essential to the country's economic well-being.

AP - Senior Taliban commanders denied that their leader, Baitullah Mehsud, had been killed in a CIA missile strike, while conflicting reports emerged late Saturday of a clash between rival Taliban factions during a meeting to chose a successor.

AP - There isn't much chance the husband of Diane Schuler could face criminal charges for the fiery crash she caused while driving the wrong way on a highway, killing herself and seven others, attorneys agree.

AP - Vehicles already were lined up for one of the weekly auto auctions benefiting Texans Can, a charity that helps at-risk teenagers and their families, when prospective donors started to call, saying they had changed their minds.

Reuters - Nine people, including five Italian tourists were killed on Saturday when a small plane hit a helicopter over New York and crashed into the Hudson River, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

Reuters - An Iranian court on Saturday charged a French woman, two Iranians working for the British and French embassies in Tehran and dozens of others with spying and aiding a Western plot to overthrow the system of clerical rule.

AFP - A French lecturer and two Iranian employees of the British and French embassies unexpectedly appeared among defendants in a mass trial hearing in an Iranian court on Saturday.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson had frequent conversations with Goldman Sachs Group Inc's chief executive during last fall's financial crisis, raising questions about his ties to his former firm, according to a New York Times report.

AP - Before Elizabeth 'Betsy' Gannon and two other women were shot dead and nine more were wounded in their aerobics classroom at a health club, the gunman paused to shut off the lights.

Reuters - Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson had frequent conversations with Goldman Sachs Group Inc's chief executive during last fall's financial crisis, raising questions about his ties to his former firm, according to a New York Times report.

LUANDA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will seek on a visit to Angola on Sunday to boost opportunities for U.S. business in the oil producer, widely seen as an emerging economic power house in Africa.

AP - CC Sabathia gave the Yankees a dominant performance that put them in position for a four-game sweep of the Red Sox. Sabathia didn't allow a runner past second base while pitching into the eighth inning and New York beat Boston 5-0 for its sixth consecutive win.

AFP - Leaders of Madagascar's main political movements signed here Sunday a transition blueprint, ending months of crisis on the island nation that had led to international isolation and halts in foreign aid.

WASHINGTON/CHICAGO (Reuters) - Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson talked often to the head of Goldman Sachs at the height of the credit crisis but did not actively seek to help the bank he once ran, a spokeswoman for Paulson said on Saturday.

AP - A small private plane collided with a sightseeing helicopter over the Hudson River on Saturday, scattering debris in the water and forcing thousands of people on the New Jersey waterfront to scamper for cover. Nine people on both aircraft were presumed dead.

AP - ABC is joining the chorus of those seeking to hire Paula Abdul, who said she's quitting 'American Idol.'

AFP - The Basque separatist organisation ETA claimed responsibility in a statement issued Sunday for several attacks, including those that killed two Civil Guard officers and a police inspector it called a 'torturer'.